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The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened
The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened is the thirteenth episode of fifth season. It aired in the United States on January 18, 2009. This is the 100th episode of Desperate Housewives. Guest Starring *Steven Culp as Rex Van De Kamp *Christine Estabrook as Martha Huber *Beau Bridges as Eli Scruggs Plot Eli Scruggs, the neighborhood handyman is found dead on Susan's roof. The women of Wisteria Lane will recall significant moments from when Eli was present, including the day Mary Alice killed herself. Brenda Strong will also appear in person as Mary Alice. Following his death the four girls sit around a table trying to decide how they will commemorate Eli's death. As they begin talking Gabrielle begins thinking about the first day she met Eli. Gaby and Carlos were arguing since Carlos was always working, and as a result Gaby was always alone. Eli suggests he can put in a word with the other ladies of Wisteria Lane and Gaby can host one of the weekly poker games. Upon the ladies' arrival, Gaby attempts to make an 'entrance' in a couture dress, and while playing poker, she insults the other girls calling their lives on Wisteria 'boring'. Later, Eli visits Gaby and when asking what the girls thought, Eli grudgingly says that the girls were greatly insulted by Gaby's words, and Eli tells her she should stop acting that she's the center of the world. Gaby then returns to the ladies and admits that her life isn't that great, and she would really like to have friends again. Bree accepts the apology for the girls, saying "Now that's an apology." Gabrielle then returns to the present time and offers to pay for the entire wreath of flowers that the girls wish to buy for Eli. As the women continue discussing, they attempt to try and decide on a possible food for the wake. Grabbing Bree's cookbook from under a table she hands it to Bree. It is at this point Bree remembers Eli. Bree's recollection of Eli begins with a dinner her and Rex are having with Lynette and Tom. As Lynette and Tom begin to argue about who should be working or not, Rex points out that Bree should get a job as well. Later that night during the flashback we see Rex come in on Bree in the kitchen, while she is putting together several recipe cards and writing in a book. Asking what she is doing, Bree responds to Rex that she is taking his advice and writing a cook book. Rex tells her he wasn't serious, and as a result Bree stops and leaves the cookbook. Eli's next visit into Bree's life is shortly after Rex's funeral. Eli then presents her with the cookbook telling her he had it and made several recipes including Bree's Cajun Lasagna. When we return to the present, Bree says she knows just what to cook for the funeral. In the present day news reaches Dave and Edie that Eli has died. Edie is extremely upset and recalls the time that when she was having marital problems with her ex-husband Umberto Roswell. Feeling insecure about her appearance Eli reassures Edie and makes her feel better. After Umberto reveals he is gay and leaves Edie, Eli is there and a man-hungry and drunk Edie cheers herself up by sleeping with him. In the present day Lynette's daughter Penny shows up at Gabrielle's house, asking for her mother. Lynette recalls how when she was pregnant with Penny she planned on going back to work as soon as Penny is born. She finally realises she is putting too much importance on getting her career back on track when she is distracted on the phone and leaves Penny in a hot car outside. Eli retrieves Penny and Lynette is moved to tears, disgusted with herself for putting work above caring for her daughter. When we return to the present day again, Susan has appeared asking Lynette if she's coming back to the kitchen, but Lynette replies 'no' and goes off to help Penny once more. At her home later that night, Susan opens a bottle of wine and looks at Eli's toolbox still on her kitchen table. She recalls how Eli changed the locks for her when Karl left her for Brandi and Mike left her after the car accident. Distraught at losing Mike, Eli comforts Susan by saying although he has little experience of love he is inspired by how Susan always manages to pick herself up again and move on after each failure with a man. Susan then recalls the day that Eli died, before he began working on her roof. Eli shows up with a spare set of keys he had cut for Jackson. Susan reveals that she has just broken up with Jackson but is remarkable calm about the situation. Eli then tells her that this is his last day as a handy man before he retires, so Susan's roof will be his last job. Susan rushes to the store to buy a bottle of wine so that she and Eli can toast to his retirement. When Susan returns, Eli has died. It is this wine that Susan is drinking and raises a glass in memory of Eli, the same wine she had bought in celebration of Eli's retirement. At Eli's funeral Mary Alice herself recalls how she changed Eli's life. She remembers how one morning before he had any steady work, he approached her and introduced himself. Initially commenting that she doesn't have any work for him Mary Alice changes her mind when she notices Eli is wearing worn shoes and had obviously fallen on hard times. She asks him if he will fix a vase she broke for her. Eli appreciates her sympathy and initially declines but Mary Alice is insistent. A few years later now that Eli has found steady work thanks to Mary Alice recommending him to the women of the neighbourhood, Eli walks in on Mary Alice reading a note. Mary Alice tries to be upbeat despite the fact that something is obviously troubling her, and offers Eli the vase that he fixed for her a few years ago. Eli gratefully accepts and leaves, worried about Mary Alice's fragile state but thinking it best to leave her alone. It is then revealed that the note Mary Alice was reading is the one she was blackmailed with and that day is the one that she killed herself. An ambulance arrives and the neighbourhood shows up in force to find out what happened to Mary Alice complete with Martha Huber the blackmailer gossiping with other women about Mary Alice's suicide. Eli watches from afar and regrets having done nothing to stop Mary Alice's suicide. From that day forward he makes a vow to not only fix people's belongings but their lives as much as he can as well. At his funeral the women gather around Eli's coffin and Bree fixes Eli's flower arrangement before the coffin is lowered, remarking that after all the fixing Eli did for them, she wanted to fix something for him. It is as they leave Mary Alice remarks, "And somewhere, reserved for only the best of us all, Eli Scruggs smiled and said 'Thank-you.'" Trivia The Best Thing That Ever Happened